


( and I ) couldn't wash the echoes out

by cometoburnyourkingdomdown



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Darcy Lewis, Darcy Lewis Feels, F/M, Pre-Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers, and it kinda complicates her entire life, darcy sees dead people, inspired by Ghost Whisperer (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 23:56:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2486981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cometoburnyourkingdomdown/pseuds/cometoburnyourkingdomdown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a young age, Darcy Lewis knew she could talk to the dead. Earthbound spirits, her grandmother called them. The ones that need help because they have unfinished business with the living. </p>
<p>So she juggles being an intern for her boss-turned-BFF by day, and being a mediator by night. And it works for awhile. Until a god falls out of the sky, superheroes save (and kinda destroy) Manhattan, and suddenly her whole world is turned upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This work is heavily influenced by my love for Ghost Whisperer and the Mediator series by Meg Cabot. I love Darcy Lewis, and I love the idea of Darcy having a secret ability of her own. 
> 
> If I get positive response to this, I'll continue :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing you can recognize. Just the merging of these two worlds, and the creative gumption to try to do so. Un-beta'ed, so all mistakes are mine. Rated T, for now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6-year-old Darcy is not too different from the Darcy we all know and love. But there's one very important detail about her life that shapes everything.

[ ](http://imgur.com/duY1fD2)

_December, 1995_

It starts in the most cliche way possible.

Nana Lewis passes away on a Tuesday. The Lewis clan gathers in the small Louisiana town where generations of Lewises have lived and died.

It's not really a somber affair. Marie Lewis wouldn't have wanted it that way. Besides, Nana's been fighting liver cancer longer than Darcy's been alive; and at the tender age of 6, she hasn't quite grasped what death means anyway.

At least she understands Nana is supposed to be gone and not hanging around anymore.

Which is why Darcy's deeply confused at the moment.

Nana Lewis is sitting in her chair and watching the older boys build towers out of her good china.

6-year-old Darcy instinctively knows somehow that this isn't where Nana should be. She should be in Heaven with the Angels. Maybe singing songs with Grandpa Lewis, like the ones she'd hear before being tucked into bed at night.

Not sitting in her usual spot at the dining table and shaking her head at the antics of the cousins Darcy hates.

She can't stop trembling in the doorway, and it's almost the most frightening thing she's ever experienced (accidentally seeing that movie about the haunted doll was worse, way worse).

And then Nana's eyes turn and fall on her.

Darcy gasps, but then Nana's winking and getting up and beckoning her to the back porch. It only takes her a moment to move, and then she's walking as fast as her short legs can take her through the screen door. And there she is, the same long braided white hair and caramel skin.

"Hello, love," comes the beautiful and familiar voice, and suddenly Darcy's crying for the first time since hearing of Nana's passing.

She climbs up onto the porch swing, and cuddles into the side of her smiling grandmother, and it all feels like maybe it was a bad dream Darcy had. Like that time with the tractor and the cows.

Darcy's sobbing, but manages to get out, "Nana?! You're not dead! Oh, I'm so happy, you won't believe what mom said happened and..."

"Oh, Darcy, I'm so happy to see you," she says, and pulls her from her side to look into Darcy's watery eyes.

"But there's something I must tell you. There's something special about us Lewis women, and you - as special as you already are- have a gift."

She rubs her eyes dry, and questions confused, "What gift? Do you mean the jewelry box you got me for my birthday? Because I promise I kept it safe and didn't color on it like you said not to!" Nana's laughing, and it's so wonderful, and everything's so perfect in this moment.

"No, no - but I'm glad you've kept it safe. The gift I mean is the ability to help people, people that have died," she begins to explain. But before Darcy can interject, she continues. "They are earthbound spirits. You can help them tell their families they love them. Help them finish whatever it is that's keeping them here on Earth. And then show them the way to move on. Every other generation, one of the women in the family possess this ability."

This time she waits for Darcy to formulate a response, and begins to braid her hair like she used to.

"...So I can talk to people who aren't alive anymore? That need my help?" she asks.

Nana's smile turns brighter, if possible, as she nods. "Yes, my love."

And then the pieces click in Darcy's young and clever mind.

"You- you _are_ dead, aren't you Nana?" she whispers, and the tears prick at her eyes again.

"Yes, _cherie_ ," comes the solemn response.

Darcy knows that it must be true. The older cousins didn't even notice Nana earlier. And Mom would've never cried so much - or lied to Darcy - if Nana weren't dead.

Nana lets Darcy cry for awhile after that. The swing rocks back and forth slightly, but only from the wind. Her legs are too short, and Nana can't seem to really touch anything besides Darcy.

Then a thought occurs to Darcy, and she blurts out, "So you can do what I do? Talk to the dead, I mean."

This time Nana sighs, and carefully replies, "Yes, for most of my life... It was only when I started to get really sick that I couldn't hear the dead anymore. Only see them occasionally."

She processes this, and then remembers what Nana said earlier.

"Do you have something I need to help you with? I mean, for why you're still here."

Nana laughs, and finishes braiding Darcy's second pigtail. "Well you already have, _ma petite_. I just needed to make sure you knew what would begin happening to you. It will sometimes be a burden. It will sometimes be light. But it is your destiny, and I promise that you are entirely capable of dealing with this. It will bring you to your shield."

Darcy's mostly confused, but grabs for her, and squeezes the hand that has shaped so much of her life. She tries to think of the words she wants to say, but manages, "I love you, Nana. Thank you for always cooking for me, and braiding my hair, and teaching me songs in French. And for staying a little while longer."

This time Darcy's eyes are dry as she smiles, and Nana's smile is just as beautiful. She hugs Darcy with so much love, it's like the light glows brighter around them.

Then she's gone.

From that moment on, Darcy's life is never the same.


	2. Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of College

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy's just trying to make it through the last few weeks of the semester before she looks for an internship; but of course a mediator's job is never done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I was absolutely floored by the response to this! Thank all of you who gave kudos, and virtual cookies to anyone who left a comment or word of encouragement. :) 
> 
> I immediately got to work on writing this next chapter to allow us a look at how Darcy has to deal with her abilities pre-Jane and pre-Thor. Should be seeing Jane and Selvig by the next chapter or so!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing you can recognize. Just the idea of Darcy as a ghost whisperer. Un-beta'ed, so all mistakes are mine. Rated T, for very mild mention of gore.

  

_April, 2010_   
_Junior Year_

 

The music's so loud next door that Darcy can hardly stand it. It's not like she's trying to study or anything. But all the same, this is supposed to be a quiet floor in the girl's dorms at Culver. And with her rapidly forming headache, patience is growing thin for her often rowdy suitemate.

"Would you please, for the love of whatever higher power you believe in, turn the music down!" she shouts, banging on the adjoining bathroom door. There's no response, and the overly cheery pop music doesn't go away.

_That's it. Time to bring down the hammer._

Darcy throws on her knitted sweater, grabs her room key, and exits her dorm. She stands in front of her neighbor's door, eyeing the haphazardly decorated bulletin board with distaste.

_"Vote Candy for Homecoming Court! There's no one sweeter!"_

_As if,_ she thinks. _They've never seen the remnants of her one too many margaritas in their shower bright and early in the morning._

This time Darcy knocks a bit more politely, in hopes that she can convince Candy with her own dose of sweetness to knock it off. But again, there's no response, and the music continues to thrum steadily.

"Seriously, does she have the same Britney song on repeat?!" she asks out loud, before looking around to make sure no one saw her talking to herself. That happens enough as it is.

Considering her options, Darcy decides to go back and grab her cellphone. She can text her R.A. and file a complaint. _I could really use a smoothie anyway, so Dairy Shack will be my safe haven once again._

She's opening her door when all of a sudden the lights flicker and it's noticeably colder than before. And like a scene out of a horror movie- or her life, really- there's Candice standing in front of her desk with a confused expression on her face. She's wearing a dress and heels, like she just came back from a party, and her hair's in a sleek side ponytail.

But it's not seeing Candy right in her room that's scary. It's the multiple chest wounds bleeding profusely on to Darcy's zebra rug.

Like the seasoned pro she is, Darcy only sort-of shrieks before she's slamming her own door shut.

"Oh god, not again - please, not again," she's whispering to herself, trying to gain some sense of calmness before she finally looks her apparently deceased suitemate in the eyes.

"How'd I get in here?" is the first thing Candy says, and by god if she doesn't say it with a tone of derision. She's looking around at Darcy's quirky-chic room, and seems to find it lacking.

"Nuh-uh, you don't get to judge my _décor_. Not right now," Darcy snaps.

Candy doesn't seem to hear her, and she shakes her head like she's trying to clear something up in her brain. This is a sign that Darcy doesn't have much time to intervene before The Wipe. Which means Candy has been dead for almost three whole days...

_I'm actually feeling sorry for her,_ Darcy thinks. _The girl who steals my tampons and never replaces them. The girl who openly mocks my scarves in World Civ._

Pulling herself to her full height, Darcy prepares herself for the hardest part of her job. "Hey there, Candice- uh, Candy. What's the very last thing you remember? I need you to think really really hard okay."

Candy snorts like what she said amuses her, but then notices Darcy's staring at her abdomen. And that's when she looks down. She screams immediately, and it's so much louder than the still-playing music next door, Darcy has to cover her ears.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING? IS THIS A PRANK? IF SO, I PROMISE YOU THAT YOU'LL BE SO VERY SORRY. MY FATHER, THE INVENTOR OF-,"

At this Darcy cuts her off, "CANDICE! Please, calm down right now. Let me explain."

Surprisingly it works. Candy's breathing slows and her eyes don't look so _murder-y._

Darcy takes a deep breath, and begins, "I'm so sorry, Candy. You died. Probably very recently. And not from... natural causes. I can see you, but I'm the only one. And if you want my help to move on to the light, I will give it to you. Otherwise, you're going to stay here and you'll probably never find peace."

It's a speech that has taken almost 15 years to perfect. And it never gets any easier.

Candy is crying now. The tears are ruining her ghostly make-up. And she's wrapping her arms around herself, trying to find comfort.

One of the most important things about being a mediator for the dead is that they instinctively know they can trust her. They can tell her the secrets they never shared with anyone when they were alive. They can trust her to deliver closure to their loved ones. A lot of the times, helping the dead pass on is easy because of this.

Sometimes, they fight their instincts. Sometimes, they fight her. But most of the time, they listen. It's only a matter of discovering what keeps them tied here and cutting the cord. If they've been dead for longer than 3 days, their memories of their last moments become much harder to access. She likes to refer to this as The Wipe. Which is why Darcy doesn't have time to ease Candy into her new state of being.

Because by the looks of her multiple stab wounds, Candice was murdered; and Darcy knows she owes it to her to find whoever did this.

Candy's sobs have turned into hiccups, and her tears have started to slow. She's gulping in nonexistent air as she manages to ask, "How...how can you be the only one who sees me?"

Darcy sighs, but answers softly, "It's a family curse. Or blessing, depending on the day." She moves to her bed and sits down, and pats the bed meaningfully. Candy moves quickly and sits, or rather mostly sits, beside her.

"Now, I really need you to tell me the last thing you remember. Who you were with. Where you were. Any smells, sights, feelings, whatever you can," Darcy says steadily.

Candy thinks for a long time, but then she starts to tell her story.

* * *

 

The next few hours seem to go by in a blur. Her floor is now a circus of people and police, and Darcy is truly greatful that she really doesn't have a final in the morning. After contacting both her R.A. and campus police, Darcy did what she could to calm Candy down in the time it took someone to get into the still noisy room.

As it turns out, Candy _had_ been dead for almost three days. But with the long weekend everyone had just come back from, no one noticed she hadn't been around. She hadn't made plans to go home; no one was expecting her.

Darcy tries not to feel guilty that she wasn't here to notice something was up either. _She's probably still waiting inside. I should really go explain what's happening now._

After finishing giving her statement to the real police, Darcy was truly exhausted. She considers avoiding her room, but Lewis women aren't cowards. So she steels herself, steps around the yellow caution tape right next door, and enters her dorm.

Candy's still kind of hovering near Darcy's bed, but is now just staring at her hands in her lap. She looks up when Darcy shuts her door quietly. "What's happening? Am I... I mean, is my body in there?" she asks quietly.

It's such a contrast to the normal way Candice usually speaks to her, and Darcy is again burdened by an intense sympathy for the girl. Clearing her throat, Darcy replies, "Yes, you were found in bed. It's clear someone did this to you. But they seemed to listen when I told them your boyfriend is in Connecticut."

Candy nods solemnly, and returns to staring at her own hands. 

"Do you think-," she starts, but takes a moment to collect her thoughts. "Do you think you're ready to go?" Darcy asks.

At this, Candy looks up sharply. "Go?! No, NO, I am not- I mean I can't..."

She shakes her head, and puts her hands up in what she hopes is a calming gesture. "Candy, I told you we would go to that house, remember? That's all I meant," she promised.

This time the former homecoming candidate giggles nervously, and replies, "Of course, I'm sorry I forgot."

"It's alright. It happens. It's much harder to remember, where you are," Darcy offers.

An almost tense moment passes.

"Let's get going!" she declares suddenly. "I want that sucker to burn." Candy stands up proudly and puts her hands on her hips. Then her face becomes confused as she asks, "Do I just, you know, ride in a car with you? Or do I have to, like, wish I was there?"

Darcy has to grin at her tone, but answers anyway. "If you want to be there, you just- well I don't know how to put this... Picture the house where the- it- happened. And I'll meet you there-,"

Candy's gone in an instant.

" - in a few." She sighs, "This is gonna be a long night."

  

* * *

 

 "God, can't you move any faster?"

"Again, I told you my hips were not made to fit in this tiny dumbell elevator shaft. I have Shakira hips. Wait another damn second, will you?" Darcy demands, though her voice is kind of muffled at the moment. _Because I'm stuck in a scary dark hole that probably has rat feces. Or dead bodies. Or rat's eating dead bodies._

Candy tries to tug at the rope that Darcy is currently using to hold herself steady, and she has to grit her teeth in annoyance and a little bit in fear. She starts to admonish the unpatient ghost- and remind her that she can't touch pretty much anything- when her flashlight glints off something silver.

"I found it! Just a another few inches..." she manages, but then can't say anything more because she needs both hands to rappel and the flashlight has to go in her mouth.

"Did you find it?" comes a voice right by her ear, and damn if Darcy doesn't scream with the flashlight still in her mouth. She manages to bite down before she loses it to the darkness.

_Where was this coordination in high school??_

She barks, "Just a minute!" which comes out truly unrecognizable to anyone.

Candy seems to get the point though, because she starts to fist pump while hovering in the air right beside Darcy. "Awesome, this is so great! We make a great team!"

Darcy can't help but snort at that, but then does her own fist pump when she actually manages to get ahold of the very strange looking knife. Holding it carefully as possible in her latex-gloved hands, she makes a pointing motion to move up.

Candice is looking down from the shaft's opening again in a split second. She gives a thumbs-up to Darcy and watches her make her way back up.

It's not as much of a struggle to get out as it was to get in, so there's very little butt maneuvering. Unfortunately, her clumsiness is back in force apparently, because she very un- gracefully lands on her back with an "Oomf!"

There's chattering and cheering from Candy, but Darcy just needs a moment to catch her breath.

"Okay, let me just bag this, and I promise we'll get it where it needs to go," she manages, trying to overcome the strange sense of fear she has that maybe the rats and their feces are still surrounding her.

In just a few minutes, Darcy has her trusty Ghost Helping & Hunting Kit all packed up, and the knife that killed her neighbor is in a sealed plastic bag.

Candy's hovering now though, and seems to be wringing her hands. Lightly concerned, Darcy can't help but ask, "What's up?"

The usually peppy girl seems unsure as she says, "What if he's still here?"

Shaking her head, Darcy reassures her, "There's definitely no one here. I used the thermal imaging system that I bought off eBay before I entered."

Candy doesn't really seem assured, but then she's carefully putting both her hands on Darcy's shoulders and smiling a real and blinding smile. "Thank you so much, Darcy. No one would've ever known what really happened to me..." Candy trails off for a second. "And I can't ever repay you."

She can't help but close her eyes for a moment and smile. There's really nothing quite like doing what you're destined to do. _A wholeness in the soul,_ is all she could ever try to describe it, to her diary.

"We got the knife. They'll connect it to the masked guy who hurt you, I promise," Darcy replies. "But...there is something you can do for me."

"Anything! What do you need?" she asks.

Hesitating, Darcy braces herself for the question she's been asking for years.

"When you get to where you're going..." she stops to pull out a familiar and worn picture. "Can you please look for this man? And tell him...that I love him."

Candy steps closer to the picture to study it. "I'll try really hard to remember. Who is he?"

She coughs quietly before she answers.

"He's my dad."

  

* * *

 

 After saying their mostly awkward goodbyes, Candy sees the door that all spirits eventually see. And the whole "moving on" thing takes just moments. Darcy can't help but wipe her eyes. _I always get emotional at this part._

"Nothing left but to send this to the police..." she says aloud to no one in particular this time.

After she writes down the house's exact location to include in the anonymous package, Darcy leaves the way she came.

Taking one last look at the abandoned and very spooky house from her car, she can't help but shiver a little in fear. _You did your part. Nothing to worry about now._ She starts the engine to her beat-up Jeep and pulls away.

...

Inside the house, in a hidden corner of the hallway, a small red light on a camera blinks.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've seen Ghost Whisperer (it's on Netflix!), you know that the best friend knows about the abilities the main character possesses. I've decided I'm going to go that route, so Jane will definitely know what Darcy can do!
> 
> I think it will be very interesting to see how a woman of science comes to terms (or doesn't) with what Darcy does. I can't quite decide though if I want the next chapter to show how/when Jane finds out, or if we should jump straight away into the meat of the story. What do you guys think? Please leave a comment with your opinion!
> 
> xoxo
> 
> P.S. Can anyone spot the very slight Mean Girls reference? First one to comment on here OR on my writing tumblr (insmokeourmemories) with the reference gets a character named after them in this story! :)


	3. This Is A Place Where I Don't Feel Alone pt. I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Darcy knows how to recognize grief. It's her second skin, maybe even her armor - and she never takes it off."
> 
> Jane's not just the coolest and smartest boss Darcy's ever had. She's quickly becoming one of her best friends. It doesn't take long for Darcy's other life to interfere though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I again have to thank all of you for the encouragement and support you all have shown this story. It's the first one I've shared with others in a long time, and it's a bit like riding a bike - trying to write so it makes sense to someone other than your own brain can be hard! But thank you for sticking with this story so far. I can't wait to show you all where I want this to go :)
> 
> A huge thank you to Crystal aka [islndgurl777](http://archiveofourown.org/users/islndgurl777/pseuds/islndgurl777), who was my beta for this story!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing you can recognize. Specifically the MCU. Though I did make the edited photoset (it's so easy to photoshop a spooky shadow onto stuff, just saying...) Rated T, for now.

 

 

 

 

_May 2011_

_New Mexico_

 

The local dingy bar is very sparse on a Tuesday afternoon. There're a few regular patrons, like the older guy with the weird handlebar mustache and the creepy goth kid who reads mystery novels in the corner. Darcy doesn't see any Other people hanging around though, so the place automatically gets three stars in her book.

Darcy and her boss-turned-friend are in need of copious amounts of alcohol after the stressful day they'd had. Or well, a string of stressful days. And in Puente Antiguo, the only place to get cheap whiskey and play Duck Hunt is at Joe's Bar & Grille.

"I think we need more. Do you think we need more?" comes Jane's voice, and it's truly a credit to her college days that she doesn't seem to be all that affected by the shots they took earlier.

Darcy's kind of distracted right now however. She's this close to beating goth kid's high score, which she keeps reminding Jane of about every two minutes.

Unfortunately, Jane's patience level is not that high on a good day. On a day like today, when another piece of lab equipment broke and the past week's results are now skewed beyond reading, her patience level is zilch.

Taking a moment to lean carefully against the arcade machine, Jane pleads, "Darcy! Can we please get black-out drunk like you promised? I'd like to not even remember the quadratic formula by the end of the night."

_Bang! "New High Score!"_

"I AM VICTORIOUS! I AM THE DUCK HUNTER GODDESS! AND ALL WILL KNEEL BEFORE MY VIRTUAL DUCK HUNTING SKILLS!" Darcy yelps triumphantly.

The following dance performed is a hybrid of a touchdown dance and the Macarena, and Jane's embarrassed " _Darcy_ ," does nothing to deter her. It then only takes minimal prodding to pull Jane in, and the two buzzed girls are swaying and giggling to the jukebox. It's surely the most action the bar's had in years.

After a few minutes, both girls head back to their table in need of a rest.

Taking a sip of her now lukewarm beer, Darcy finally answers the astrophysicist's earlier question. "If you really, _really_ want to get wasted, I can make it happen. You're talking to a girl that's still technically in college." Fiddling with the label on the bottle, she then takes a minute to gather her thoughts. "But Jane, I've gotta ask. Is this really about the broken solid-particle apparatus-doo-dad?" she tries kindly.

Jane's look of surprise is split-second, but Darcy catches it. She merely waits for Jane to either mention what's on her mind, or maybe avoid the subject altogether.

It's Jane's turn to take a sip of her beer. Something seems to settle in her mind, as she then pushes the bottle out of the way to look Darcy in the eye.

"Well...to be honest, I've been dealing with some stuff. Around this time of year..." she pauses a moment, "I get kind of sad. I had an older brother, you know."

The past tense doesn't really come as a surprise. Darcy knows how to recognize grief. It's her second skin, maybe even her armor - and she never takes it off.

Clearing her throat, she teases gently, "Yeah, I saw the picture of the two of you in your van. I didn't realize anyone else could wear so much plaid and pull it off like you."

Jane giggles, but then grows somber again. "He was in grad school when I was at Culver... He actually bought me my first telescope. He was- is very important. We got each other through a lot.

And then, one night, I guess he was out with friends. There was an accident; a drunk driver... He passed away quickly."

There's tears in her eyes now, and Darcy can't help but reach out for the woman's hand.

Jane's laugh is sad, but she squeezes Darcy's hand and smiles. "He died 6 years ago next week. And it sounds strange, but-," she cuts off when there's loud shouts from handlebar guy at the bar, and both women jump at the noise.

Jane's the first to recover and hops up from her seat with nervous energy. Pulling out a twenty, she starts to head to the bar. "Jim Beam good for you?"

Darcy's stare is curious, though she just shakes her head and laughs, "Sounds good, I'm up for some trouble!"

 

* * *

 

A few hours have passed, and the two women have made it safely back to Jane's trailer after cutting themselves off for the night. The trailer is kind of messy, but it serves their purpose of watching old  _Grey's Anatomy_ reruns and stuffing down junk food, so it's home. It also has a reasonably comfortable couch, according to Darcy.

"Hey, pass the caramel corn, would you?" Jane mumbles, after trying and failing to reach for it herself.

Eyes glued to the screen where McDreamy is currently being... dreamy, Darcy just manages to hand it over without spilling much.

Their friendship is definitely an odd one. For a while, their relationship was cool and  professional. With two very different types of backgrounds, it was hard for them to relate to each other personally. As they grew more comfortable working together, however, it became clear that they had a lot more in common than they thought.

Jane's tendencies to get lost in science had resonated with Darcy. She knew what it was like to become consumed with something that needed solving. Eventually she developed a sense of responsibility to keep her boss from going belly-up from lack of food, fresh air, and sleep (often in that order).

Darcy's knack for wandering off to strange places at strange times hadn't seemed to bother Jane much either. She extended Darcy the courtesy of trust, as long as she was around when she was needed.

After working together as intern and boss for a few months, the two women had grown close over a love of trashy TV and Pop-Tarts. And though they often bicker and sometimes have trouble understanding the other, a true friendship managed to form.

Taking a large gulp of ice water, Darcy notices that Jane has started to snooze on her side of the couch. "Boss lady, you have a bed you should use. Need some help?"

Grumbling, Jane makes a noise resembling a "no," and manages to push herself upright.

Her hair is messy and her eyes are definitely droopy, but she looks determined as she starts to speak. "Remember how I told you about my brother? And how this time of year feels so, I don't know, strange?"

_This is Serious Business._ They haven't really broached personal topics very much yet. Darcy shuts off the TV quickly. "Sure, I remember."

There's a kind of scoffing noise, and Jane's nose squishes up in that way that means she's kind of uncomfortable. "I know how this sounds, okay, believe me. I've been rationalizing it away for a long time. You know, grief or whatever..." she starts.

It's a strange sentence, but Darcy waits patiently for the intoxicated scientist to continue.

Carrying on, she blurts out, "Sometimes I think he's still around. Tommy, I mean."

An internal panic starts to rise up in the younger woman.  _Does she know? Could she know? How would she know?_

With shaky voice, she asks, "What do you mean?"

"I've always been a woman of science. Always will be. But every year, on the anniversary, I think... I think he checks in," Jane manages, and it seems like the night is finally catching up to her.

_You might not be wrong._ "Well, have you ever seen anything? Felt anything?"

The scientist stops to pull her hair up into a messy bun, then answers. "Nothing I could prove. It could all be wishful thinking, on my part, I guess."

Darcy tries to control her inner worry, but pats the other woman's shoulder with a small smile. Carefully, she replies, "I'm not sure what to tell you. Anything's possible, I think. But didn't you say something about magic just being science we don't understand yet?"

That gets a giggle out of Jane, and at Darcy's questioning look, she explains, "Arthur C. Clarke said that; but a friend of mine said almost the same to me once."

There's a quiet but not uncomfortable silence then. When it looks like Jane's almost out for the count, Darcy finds the strength to pull herself up, then her friend.

"Alright boss lady, we can talk natural and supernatural another time, yeah?"

Pulling Jane's arm around her shoulders, she helps the slight woman into her bed.

"Thanks, Darce," comes a voice muffled by a pillow.

Shaking her head, she says, "Yeah, yeah, no biggie."

Darcy's comfortable on her commandeered couch in minutes. As she settles down to sleep off the night, she can't help but wonder about the coincidence of her new friend bringing up death in that way. She'd been careful about dealing with her occasional ghost problem.

_That was... weird. And kind of a close one._

 

* * *

   
 _One Week Later_

 

Darcy's in the middle of transcribing notes for Jane (who's on a much-needed nap break) when the voice recorder she's listening to starts to short out. There's a great bit of static, and then the damn thing seems to stop working altogether.

Slamming it down in frustration, Darcy takes off her glasses and pinches her nose.

The lights start to flicker as soon as she re-adjusts the frames on her face.

Thankfully, it's not the middle of the night, but with the sun just starting to set, even the open glass windows of Jane's lab don’t diminish the creepy feeling Darcy's starting to get.

Years of experience have given the intern a healthy sense of caution; malfunctioning equipment and old lights do not a haunting make.

But a voice whispering, " _Jane,_ " in an otherwise empty room does.

She can't help but jump, though she's on her feet in seconds, looking for the source of the voice. There's not much light to see by; fortunately, the lab doesn't have very many places to hide.

"Hello?" she tries.  _Stellar, really Darcy - when has that ever worked?_

There's a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, but by the time she turns, there's nothing to be seen.

_Great, another shy ghost. I freaking hate the ones that play hard to get._

Despite not being able to touch other living things - other than Darcy - ghosts can sometimes make themselves known in other ways. The longer a spirit has stuck around, the stronger they seem to be at manipulating the living world. Electricity and temperature are usually great indicators as to their presence, and how powerful they are.

Flickering lights and malfunctioning equipment is nothing Darcy hasn't seen before. At this point, she’s a regular Sherlock Holmes of the dead. But the problem isn't that there seems to be a new ghost hanging around.

_This is Jane's lab... The voice wanted Jane..._

The problem is that places aren't haunted - people are.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will likely not be as frequent as they have been for these first three parts. It's all a matter of building this story and trying to keep it believable. Plus that pesky real life gets in the way :P 
> 
> Thanks again for reading. For any immediate updates or questions, follow me on my writing [blog ](http://insmokeourmemories.tumblr.com/) or you can even come fangirl with me about pretty much anything on my personal [tumblr ](http://cometoburnyourkingdomdown.tumblr.com/) :)
> 
> -Mary
> 
> P.S. Anyone else freaking out over all the updates we've gotten from Marvel the past few days?? The trailer for AOU, the new clip of the team trying to lift Thor's hammer, and CAPTAIN MARVEL AND BLACK PANTHER MOVIES!!! I know what I'll be doing the next few years...


	4. This Is A Place Where I Don't Feel Alone pt. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy reveals her building skills with strange materials. Jane reveals a little more about her deceased brother. So it's a typical day in Puente Antiguo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays everyone! Sorry this took so long, but as I'm sure is true for the rest of you, this is a busy time of year! Along with being sick and going on vacation, these past few weeks have been kind of a whirlwind and I've been so pressed for any time to work on this. 
> 
> This story actually all started with my search to read something like this, but would you believe my very specific AU wasn't already written? :P So basically I wrote this because I really wanted to read it. And I love Darcy and wanted to give her a really cool new facet to her character. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me! And kudos right back to all of you who've reviewed and favorited - it really means a lot!
> 
> Also, I must again thank my wonderful beta who helped with this chapter as well, [islndgurl777](http://archiveofourown.org/users/islndgurl777/pseuds/islndgurl777). She has been an incredible encouragement and help for this story! (As promised, a character was named after you for correctly spotting my Mean Girls reference earlier! :D Good job!)
> 
> Disclaimer: The MCU and Ghost Whisperer elements are not mine. The kooky idea to combine them is!

__

* * *

 

_Previously..._

_Years of experience have given the intern a healthy sense of caution; malfunctioning equipment and old lights do not a haunting make._

_But a voice whispering, " Jane, " in an otherwise empty room does._

_She can't help but jump, though she's on her feet in seconds, looking for the source of the voice. There's not much light to see by; fortunately, the lab doesn't have very many places to hide._

_"Hello?" she tries._ Stellar, really Darcy - when has that ever worked?

_There's a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, but by the time she turns, there's nothing to be seen._

Great, another shy ghost. I freaking hate the ones that play hard to get.

_Despite not being able to touch other living things - other than Darcy - ghosts can sometimes make themselves known in other ways. The longer a spirit has stuck around, the stronger they seem to be at manipulating the living world. Electricity and temperature are usually great indicators as to their presence, and how powerful they are._

_Flickering lights and malfunctioning equipment is nothing Darcy hasn't seen before. At this point, she’s a regular Sherlock Holmes of the dead. But the problem isn't that there seems to be a new ghost hanging around._

This is Jane's lab... The voice wanted Jane…

_The problem is that places aren't haunted - people are._

* * *

 

_The Next Day_

“Darcy, would you mind taking a picture of the white board? I need more space to try this next equation but I want to remember what we finished yesterday,” Jane asks, not looking away from the screen of her computer.

At the moment, Darcy’s a bit consumed with her own work. Ruling out any possibility of last night being a random haunt connected to a local death has consumed most of her morning (and night). Surprisingly, Puente Antiguo doesn’t seem to have much in the way of suspicious deaths. Other than a few cases of shoot-outs from the time the town was first settled, it’s a relatively quiet area.

Jane finally pulls herself away from whatever she’s working on when a few minutes pass without a response. Glaring at Darcy, she grumbles, “Earth to Darcy! Are your headbuds in again?”

It’s only when a pen comes flying out of nowhere and lands on her laptop that Darcy startles and notices Jane.

“Geeze, Boss, what was that?” she asks. “But kudos on your aim, it’s improving since the last time we played Horseshoes at the fair!”

Trying not to grin, Jane manages without laughing, “I told you, those horseshoes were not properly weighted to give the right aerodynamics for flight.” Ignoring Darcy’s stuck out tongue, she continues, “I need you to take a few pictures of the whiteboard, please.”

She points one finger gun at Jane while shutting her laptop, then reaches for the Polaroid camera. “You got it, Boss Lady. Sorry, I was distracted.”

Shaking her head, Jane turns back to her work but asks, “What were you working on anyway?”

Taking a moment to snap a second picture of the left side of the board, Darcy answers without missing a beat, “Ex-boyfriend messaged me on Facebook. Trying to formulate an appropriate response.”

This time the astrophysicist snorts, but seems appeased for the moment. Typing away, she doesn’t notice Darcy’s appraising gaze.

Jane looks tired. Well, more tired than normal.

While she lets the Polaroids develop, Darcy tries to figure out a way to bring up whatever’s weighing on Jane’s mind. But pulling her away from her work is usually no small feat. Her tried and true way is usually food.

Isabella’s Diner it is.

Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Darcy says, “Hey, it’s about lunch time. What do you say we - and by that I mean you - take a break and head to Isabella’s? I really need a cheeseburger.”

Nearly on cue, Jane’s stomach seems to grumble, and that manages to shake her out of her beginning science stupor.

“I should really finish this last page,” she tries, but she’s already pushing herself away from the desk.

Darcy can’t help but laugh at how quickly Jane responds to the thought of some of the best diner food ever made. “Just call me Pavlov!”

Jane grins for a second, but huffs, “Does that make me the dog in this scenario?”

“Well you’re certainly not the bell,” she answers, as they begin to head out the door.

Jane’s laugh is a welcome sight, and as they make their way to the diner down the street, she starts naming off what she plans on eating.

“Extra pickles, which Crystal always laughs about, but I swear I can’t eat a cheeseburger without at least half a dozen pickles on it. And I’m thinking a strawberry banana milkshake this time!”

 

* * *

 

 

Isabella’s Diner is really busy mid-Saturday, but the nice waitress-slash-college student named Crystal manages to seat them in just a few minutes. After ordering and chatting for a bit, their hot food arrives and both women dive in. There’s no need for conversation, so the silence is a comfortable one. The meal is perfect, and finishing it off with The Best Milkshakes In All Of New Mexico leaves them full and happy.

“Okay, what about him?” Jane asks, pointing to a man through the window.

The two women are currently people watching and making up stories about where each person on the street is headed.

“Hmm… Well he’s having a torrid love affair with the plumber’s wife. That’s why his head is balding. The stress of it is making his hair fall out,” Darcy states with all the authority she can manage.

Jane’s laughter rings out as she throws another well-aimed cold fry at Darcy’s plate.

She snorts when it knocks over the tent Darcy’s made with her napkins.

“Hey!” she exclaims. “My future home! And I told you that your aim was improving, Boss Lady!”

“It’s not my fault you didn’t construct it out of a more solid material, Darcy,” she argues, hiding her smile as she takes a drink of her coffee.

“You live in a glorified vehicle, Jane. You have no room to judge,” she tease back.

Gasping in mock-hurt, she cries, “That you stay in when you hate that tiny apartment you swear smells like living over a pizzeria.”

“Well, I guess you’re right,” Darcy sighs in defeat, holding her hands up in surrender. “Truce? I won’t insult your living quarters if you stop catapulting fries at my beautiful construction.”

Attempting some form of the Girl Scout salute, Jane nods her head. “Deal.”

Finishing off the last of her own coffee, Darcy nods in solidarity. Looking around for their favorite waitress, she waves slightly with a smile. When she catches her attention, she waits for the woman to make her way to them patiently.

Jane’s back to looking out the window, but now she seems to be lost in her own thoughts.

Clearing her throat, Darcy asks gently, “Is everything okay, Jane? You seem kind of… worn out today.”

Kind of distracted, it takes her a second to look at Darcy and process what she asked. Finally, she says, “Well, I didn’t sleep very well last night. I kept having this dream…” She trails off, fiddling with the sugar packets on the table.

_Maybe I shouldn't pry._

Carefully, Darcy replies, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Jane.”

Surprised, Jane looks up and assures her, “Nothing bad, just dreams of the last time I saw Tommy.”

Fiddling with sugar packets seems to be the perfect distraction for the moment, so Darcy joins in by beginning to construct some other semblance of a shelter.

Clearing her throat, Jane says, “He came home for Thanksgiving that year. He was doing really well in school but that semester had been a little tougher because his girlfriend had broken up with him, or so mom said…”

Darcy stops building her Sugar Packet Temple then, and nods solemnly at Jane to continue whenever she wants.

Smiling softly, she continues, “But he was doing better and decided to come back. I think by that point I was completely consumed by a telescope prototype I was building, but I managed to escape my work and spent a lot of time with him that week. His last day home, we went to the observatory and the museum. Being a big brother was easy for him because we always loved science.”

At this her smile grew more genuine, and she sort of laughed.

“The only time we ever fought was when we both competed in a local Science Fair and he called my idea childish… He was great though, seriously.”

A natural pause in the conversation left Darcy wondering if there was more, but both of their attentions were pulled to the jukebox. Someone had it playing _“What’s New Pussycat?”_ for what seemed like the third time and both girls couldn't help but hum a few bars.

By this time, Crystal had finally gotten through with the giant family eating a few tables down and approached their table.

“Anything else dolls?” she asked with a smile. “How about a couple pieces of pie for the road?”

Darcy raises an eyebrow at Jane in question, but apparently in a rare moment to behold, Jane shakes her head no.

Grinning, Darcy looks back at the waitress and shrugs her shoulders in surprise.

“That’ll be all Crystal, thanks so much. And a huge round of applause to you for dealing with that very messy family over there.” Placing a fist over her heart and exaggerating a look of solemnity, she intones, “As a former waitress I do not envy the battles you fight. I simply praise you for your true sacrifice.”

Crystal’s laugh rings out and it’s enough to lighten the heavy mood at the table. Jane giggles and swats at Darcy’s arm playfully.

Fanning herself with the menus in her hand, Crystal replies with a wink, “Thank you for your service as well.”

As she reaches to pick up their empty glasses, she teases, “I’ll put your bill on your weekly food tab, huh?”

Then Jane actually laughs and answers first, “Sounds good. Maybe I’ll write you guys a check on one of those giant ones they use for prizes. The amount of food we eat from here wouldn't make it a laughable amount.”

“I bet Isabella would get a kick out of that!” Crystal laughs as she heads back to the kitchen. “See y’all later!”

As the two women gather their things to leave, a man wearing a baseball cap appeared to be reading a newspaper at the counter. He silently watches them go in the mirror behind the counter and checks his watch. A few minutes later he follows.

* * *

 

The rest of the day seems to pass by quickly. After a much-needed fuel break, Jane’s energy level is as high as ever, and Darcy’s tolerance for science shenanigans is up too. When 6 o’clock rolls around, both women decide to keep working while they’re on a roll.

Or rather Jane decides to keep working and manages to convince Darcy that a couple more hours of work is important. Once she’s sure dinner will be provided, Darcy agrees with little fuss. The Chinese take-out place is on speed-dial, so it’s the best incentive Jane can offer.

When there seems to be a break in work for Darcy to do, she decides to continue her research into the apparent ghosty problem she has. Or rather, that they have.

_Since it’s obviously something to do with Jane, it couldn’t hurt to check out a few likely people, including her brother. Just a real quick background check and I should have some ideas._

While the search program she created runs on a minimized tab, Darcy does a basic Google search of Jane, focusing on her time at Culver, both as a student and a teacher.

_Numerous academic achievements, obviously. Joined a sorority for awhile?? Alrighty then, Jane!… Nothing really personal here._

Jane’s college career seemed to mainly consist of school and extracurriculars. Nothing untowards or suggestive of scandal or death.

Then she types in the name of Jane’s brother. The very first page is a link to his obituary in the school paper.

_There’s special acknowledgement of all his extracurriculars too, and apparently a lot of people went to his memorial. Popular guy._

Along with a few of Tommy’s school photos and club pictures, there were a couple personal photos included. One of him and Jane as kids, both dressed in plaid. And one of him and his then-girlfriend, Ainsley Forks.

_Cute couple. And they dated for two years, according to this caption, so it was obviously serious. Explains why he wasn’t handling their break-up very well._

“Darcy?” rings out Jane’s voice, interrupting Darcy’s further snooping.

“Yeah, boss?” she answers, distracted by another obituary.

“Turn down the AC, please. It’s freezing in here!”

Rubbing her eyes and huffing, Darcy pushes away from her desk and moves to stand. “Sure thing, but it wasn’t me who turned it up. You’re the one who gets hot so easy!”

Jane’s absentminded humming is all she gets in response, so Darcy just rolls her eyes and heads to the thermostat towards the front.

Then it’s like she’s somehow stumbled into a freezer. The temperature in the room is inexplicably cold, really fast, and Darcy can see her breath in the air.

“What’d you do?” comes Jane’s shrill voice, who seems to notice the sudden drop in the room’s warmth. “How’d you manage to make it even colder?!”

But what she doesn’t seem to notice right away is the person now standing less than two feet away from her work desk.

Darcy’s frozen - no pun intended - staring at the new presence. And it’s like a shot to the gut, because she recognizes him.

She was just looking at pictures of him on her computer.

“Jane,” warns Darcy, in the calmest voice she can manage. “I need to tell you something, and I know it’s going to sound really weird, but I need you to listen to me before you freak out.”

Jane looks up from her notepad with a funny look on her face and asks, “What are you talking about?”

“Just promise you won’t freak out, okay?” Darcy pleads, growing a bit more desperate. The figure who appears to be Jane’s deceased brother Tommy is now moving closer, and his hand is reaching out, just inches away from Jane.

Jane seems to notice the direction of Darcy’s stare, however, and curiously turns her chair around slowly to see what she’s looking at.

People like Darcy, with a gift, see Earthly Spirits as plain as they see anyone living. It takes years of practice to not react to these unexpected visitors in public. Occasionally, in certain circumstances, it can even be confusing sometimes, mistaking the dead for the living.

The thing about Spirits that Darcy has long-since learned though is that other people can’t see them. They can often notice their presence, like with temperature changes, or see evidence that they’ve been there, with damage they can cause to the living world. But most people find ways to explain away anything out of the norm, just because they can’t see the cause with their own eyes.

So Darcy has had years and years of practice, and she starts to prepare herself for all the possibilities of how to explain what’s happening, and act as a mediator for Jane’s brother to speak with her.

What Darcy couldn’t be prepared for however is what happens next.

Hand trembling, Jane seemingly starts to reach out to the figure’s outstretched hand. Her face is nothing short of shocked, and when she whispers, “Tommy?”, the figure’s face seems to brighten.

And then, in a split-second, it’s gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a strange please to leave off, but this is basically where I needed this chapter to end in order for the next to be set up the way I wanted it to. 
> 
> Hopefully there'll be another update soon, so follow me on my writing tumblr at [insmokeourmemories](http://insmokeourmemories.tumblr.com/) for any news!
> 
> Again, Happy Holidays to you all :)
> 
> -Mary
> 
> (P.S. Apologies if you got a notification of an update a few weeks ago. I accidentally pressed "publish" when I should've pressed save. Thanks for reading! -- Also, can anyone name the comedian I drew inspiration from for a small part of this chapter? Kudos if you can!)

**Author's Note:**

> (This is my first story in a LONG time. I used to write short stories on ff.net, but haven't really done much but read fanfiction since then. So please be gentle when reviewing. Constructive criticism is always welcome!) 
> 
> Feel free to bug me or join the madness on tumblr at insmokeourmemories.tumblr.com!


End file.
